Courage
by Nora
Summary: A Hermione/Harry story, but with a different ending...
1. Advice to the Lovelorn

Author's Note- All characters and places were created by the amazing writer J.K. Rowling. This was written in an attempt to expand on what she has created. Everyone is speculating about Harry and Hermione, but this is my idea of one of the things that could happen. All comments are welcomed, but please don't flame me. I hope you enjoy my story!  
  
Hermione flopped despondently onto her bed and let out a long sigh. She had once read in a silly muggle book that boy problems were probably the worst problems. At this point, she heartily agreed. After three years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she had faced challenges that ranged from living 27 hour days to defeating dark wizards to trying to clear the names of accused killers. Throughout all these times she had her best friends Harry Potter and Ron Weasly besides her. But now, a few weeks into her fourth year, she wasn't sure if that was quite what she wanted.  
  
Hermione's thoughts returned to last year, when she and Harry had helped Sirius Black, an escaped convict and Harry's godfather, escape his death sentence. Her thinking then drifted to Quidditch, the wizarding sport, where Harry was one of the stars, and then to Cho Chung and she sighed again. Hermione had nothing against Cho, a pretty Ravenclaw 5th year who played seeker, the same position that Harry did, on the Ravenclaw quidditch team. In fact, she quite liked the girl, except for the fact Harry did too. He had been preoccupied about something all summer and Hermione had easily guessed that that something had been Cho.  
  
"Oh," moaned Hermione, How could I have gotten mixed up in such a mess? She thought to herself. It's one thing to like your best friend, but to have that best friend ask you for advice on other girls and how to woo them, and confide in you is just plain awful. Oh lord! thought Hermione with a sudden start. I'm supposed to meet Harry and Ron at Hagrid's in 20 minutes and I have to finish my Potions essay!  
  
20 minutes later, Hermione sat on Hagrid's step catching her breath. She had just finished her essay and literally run all the way. Harry appeared, rushing towards her, "Hermione," he panted "I need your help."  
"With what?" asked Hermione with some asperity, "you can't copy my charms homework again."  
"No, no," replied Harry, "It's about Cho."  
"Oh," said Hermione in a tight voice, "what?"  
"How do I ask her out?" asked Harry nervously, ignoring Herman's tone of voice "I know you don't have much experience with guys, but I thought you might have picked something up in your reading..." he stopped as he realized Hermione was glaring at him.  
  
"Harry, sounds like you just put your foot in your mouth big time," said Ron, coming up behind them, "Hey guys!"  
"Let me think for a moment, " replied Hermione slowly, her voice dripping with irony "I have to go through the books I've read to find a relevant example."  
What do I do? She wailed to herself, do I help him get the girl, when I want him myself, or do I make him miserable by giving him bad advice? I guess I'll help him. He is my friend, and I owe him that much. It'll hurt like the devil, but we'll still be friends, and I'll get over it. I know I'm being over-dramatic, but it hurts.  
"Harry," she called, "I have an idea!"  
"Great! Said Harry as he and Ron came over.  
"Here's what to do," instructed Hermione, assuming her lecture voice and looking anywhere but the two boys. "Send a note asking Cho to grab a butterbeer with you tomorrow in Hogsmeade. Use that flashing charm Flitwick taught us on it. Then, when you're at the pub, ask her to be your girlfriend. I hope she says 'yes'."  
"Thanks, Hermione, you're the greatest! I'll go do it now!"  
"No problem. Tell me about it tomorrow when you get back."  
  
"You're not going to Hogsmeade?" asked Ron in surprise.   
"Nope, I want to look some things up in the library. Good luck!  
"Make my excuses to Hagrid," she continued once Harry was out of sight. "I have a bit of a cold."  
"Sure," replied Ron "and do you think that would work with Lavender?"  
"Am I losing both of you" Hermione said in mock fury, "It'll work great. She once said she wanted to be asked out at the Three Broomsticks. See you in the morning."  
"Night," Ron called as she walked towards the castle.  
  
Life is messed up, thought Hermione later that night as she practiced turning her hairbrush into a flyswatter.  
"Hermione! Did you hear?" Parvati squealed as she leapt up the stairs.  
"Ron sent me a note asking me to go to the Three Broomsticks with him tomorrow!" said Lavender gleefully as she followed Parvati up the stairs.  
"And Harry asked Cho! Isn't that great?"  
"It's awesome" agreed Hermione with a smile that was pretty much forced. "I'm glad they had the courage to do something about the way they felt." If only I had that same courage, she added silently to herself.  
  
Author's Note Part II-When I wrote this, I was really depressed. In a happier mood, I wrote a Part II that's a lot more cheerful. I'm planning on posting that soon, after I post the next Mischief Managed story. However, if you liked this story the way that it was, please don't read the sequel.  
  



	2. Living Happily Ever After

  
Author's note- All characters except John winston belong to J.K. Rowling. This is the happier conclusion to my "Courage" story. If my dialogue is stilted I apologize. Comments and suggestions are welcome, though flames are used in my Chemistry labs. Enjoy!  
  
The next day, Hermione was walking down the hall near the library, her arms filled with books. She had left the common room early, so she wouldn't have to see everyone leaving in pairs.  
"Oww!"  
"Oh lord!"  
"Sorry!" with a loud, crash, Hermione had walked straight into someone. It was a tall, dark-haired Ravenclaw forth year, John Winston, who she knew by sight. 'I'm so sorry," exclaimed Hermione as she bent to pick up her books, 'I wasn't looking where I was going."  
"It's fine. My fault, really," he replied. 'Say, you're Hermione Granger, aren't you? We're in charms together."  
'Yes,' Hermione said, "You're John. You answer almost as many questions as I do."  
  
"Guilty," John agreed, "anyway, where were you going with all these books?" he asked as they stood up, "why aren't you going to Hogsmeade?"  
"Oh, I wanted to do some research in the library. I don't feel like Hogsmeade today," replied Hermione with a faint blush.  
"Here, let me help you with those books," said John, lifting the books out of Hermione's arms easily. 'That's a shame. It's such a beautiful day. Hey," he added in an excited voice, "lets' go now. There's a spot up by the shrieking shack that's really nice."  
Hermione's faces clouded as she thought of the shrieking shack, and Harry, but then decided that she did want to go to Hogsmeade, and John seemed really sweet.  
'Sure," she said with a smile, "that sounds lovely. Let me put my books back though. It's on the way."  
"Of course,' John said as they continued, "so..., have you read the new book on charms?" he began as they walked down the corridor.   
  
When they reached the common room, Hermione darted in, dropped her books, fixed her hair, and met up with John again.  
He's great, she thought as the walked along the path. We have the same interests, the same views, and he understands me. Why haven't we talked before?  
_Because you've been too preoccupied with Harry_ said a small voice inside Hermione's head. Her criticizing thoughts were cut short by John's voice.   
"Do you want to stop at Honeydukes?" he asked, "there's this great new candy called Bertie Bott's Exploding Every Flavor Jelly Beans."  
"Sure," agreed Hermione, "sounds great."  
  
After they left Honeydukes with a bag of candy John had insisted on paying for, they meandered along the path. As they approached the bench, Hermione noticed someone else already there. Two someones in fact, obviously absorbed in each other.  
"Who's that?" asked John  
"Let's get out of here." Said Hermione in a tight voice as she recognized Cho and Harry. "I want to go back to school."  
"Ok," said John in bewilderment.  
When they were out of the sight of the bench, Hermione burst into tears.  
"What's wrong," asked John, "are you feeling alright? Wasn't that Cho and Harry…? Oh is that what's wrong?" He continued, "Harry kissing Cho? Let's go back. I shouldn't have made you come if you were upset about Harry."  
"You didn't make me come,' protested Hermione.  
"No, I did," he said as they approached the castle. "Of course I'd seen you liked Harry, but I thought you were over the jerk. I'll see you in class. Goodbye Hermione," he added, and left her at the castle gate.  
  
For the second time in two days, Hermione walked slowly back into the castle. As she slipped through the portrait hole, her eyes started to blur.  
"Hermione," Parvati called "Who was that cute bloke I saw you with?"  
Sobbing, Hermione ran past her, and collapsed, crying, onto her bed, for the second time in two nights.  
  
Over the next few days, Hermione became more and more depressed. She started answering fewer questions in class. In charms, she was almost silent. John hadn't talked to her since their disastrous "date", and that hurt her more than the sight of Harry and Cho ever had. She discovered she didn't even think about Harry and Cho anymore, just a small, disinterested interest in how they were getting along. The more she thought about John, the more she found that she now liked him more then she ever had liked Harry when she had been infatuated with him. He and Ron had been her best friends and her only guy friends, so she had naturally given Harry virtues he did not possess. She felt worse then she ever had, and found her only escape by throwing herself into her schoolwork.  
  
Hermione was leafing through an old Charms book from the library when she found a faded scrap of paper. The purple writing on it read:  
Dear Myrtle,  
I can't stop thinking about you. You haunt me day and night. Meet me in the old Charms room tomorrow at midnight.  
Yours forever,  
Nick  
It was obviously an old love letter written by one of the past students. Why didn't I think of that? Thought Hermione, I knew I needed more courage, this is quite a courageous act. You know Hermione, her thoughts went on, lecturing her, you really should write that note. If nothing happens, nothing happens. You'll live. You really should take your own advice.  
  
That night, Hermione grabbed her stuff and went to bed early. After many tries, she finally came up with a note she felt comfortable sending. It read:  
Dear John,  
I'm really sorry about what happened the other day, and I feel really bad about it. I was stupid to be so absorbed in Harry, but now I've realized my mistake. Some things can't be learned in books; they have to be learned the hard way. Can you forgive me?  
~Hermione  
She sent it off with one of the school owls, marked "Open in Private." Hopefully it would work.  
  
The next morning, Hermione didn't glance once at the Ravenclaw table during breakfast. She spent all of the meal absorbed in a muggle play, Much Ado About Nothing, that was written by a wizard. She was too nervous to pay complete attention in class. She even zoned out in History of Magic, and in Charms she kept her mouth shut. Hermione rushed through dinner as fast as possible, so she could leave and would not have to see anyone or talk to anybody,  
  
As she approached the common room, she noticed someone standing by the portrait hole.  
"Hermione," he called, "I got your note."  
"Hi John," she replied nervously.  
"Let's go for a walk."  
"Sure."  
"I wanted to apologize to you," began John "I acted hastily. I have a temper, and I don't like being ignored for another guy."  
"It's not your fault. I know how you feel. But not anymore. I think Harry and Cho make a pretty cute couple."  
"Really?" asked John as her led her to an empty classroom. "Well, um, then there's something I wanted to ask you."   
"What?"  
"Would you go out with me? I know we haven't been friends long, but…"  
"Yes."  
"You're amazingly courageous." He said as he bent to kiss her."  
  
"Hermione," called Parvati again as she walked into the common room to grab her books. She and John were going to study together. "I saw you with that hottie again. Who is he?"  
"Oh, John?" Hermione replied nonchalantly, "he's my boyfriend."  
"Your what?" asked Harry in shock.  
"Gotta go," said Hermione as she walked out. "John and I are doing homework together. I have to start that History of Magic essay on Galileo's courage."  
  



End file.
